An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith
Characters: Arthur Morgan, Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption)
Additional Tags: MerMay, merman!charles, Whump, im sorry i am just a filthy filthy charles whump enjoyer, (slaps this fic on the hood) this bad boi can fit so many painful painful wounds and healing processes in there, Fantasy AU, Human Arthur, it's love at first fishy boyfriend sight really, first meeting, Pre-Relationship
Series: Part 1 of when the tides fall
Summary:
So when he spots a trail of⊠something, leading fromâor to?âthe cave's entrance, along the short stretch of the beach and into the sea, Arthur's on high alert immediately. It looks like⊠blood. Of some creature, or monster, luminous even in the glaring afternoon sun, and a shimmering blue. Arthur digs around in his head, trying to remember what he knows about non-humans, and comes up empty. Most species have red blood, and a few have gold, but blue?
He squints, pulling out a pair of binoculars. The trail looks⊠diluted, dissipated. Like the tides have washed over it countless times. Yet still the trail persists, which must mean that whatever is oozing that stuff is still in the cave, bleeding out. Arthur briefly wonders how it ended up in there; perhaps the tide brought it in, and the creature was left stranded here after the tides fell.
Arthur takes a deep heaving sigh. Let he never be known to be a smart, sensible man.
*putting my hat out like a little orphan beggar* please, miss kaph....some fixpoint,,,,if you'd be so kind <3
The sun is setting by the time he reaches camp, two days later. Along the way he doodles some new herbs, offers a poor woman a ride back to her town after heaving a dead horse off her leg, and accidentally tramples a fat turkey under his horseâs hooves, which he picks up and ties to her saddle. The horse is a wild mustang he found and tamed impromptu off the side of the road, because for some reason Boadicea wasnât waiting for him outside the lab - but Arthurâs not too worried. Sheâs been nicked before, but has always found her way back to camp. A smart devil, she is.
All in all he has a pretty good time, and by the time the lush greenery surrounding Shady Belle comes into view, with not a hint of pain on his body to remind him, Arthur has all but forgotten about the whole little life-and-death situation he experienced back at the lab.
That is, until he spots the all too familiar figure standing vigilant guard in the shadows of the trees, and all of a sudden all the guilt and despair heâd felt in that split second of electric shock comes flooding back to him.
Charles watches him as Arthur kicks his horse into a trot. Arthur canât quite make out his expression, the sun now just dipping beneath the horizon, but he thinks Charles hesitates, something uncertain flitting across his face.
âArthur,â Charles greets, when Arthur is within speaking distance. âFinally cut your hair, hm?â
Arthur blinks, pausing mid dismount. âHuh?â he says smartly, shaking his boot loose of the stirrup. Then remembers he had his hair trimmed a week or two ago, when Charles had been more or less busy out of camp-and Arthur has very fond memories about the night he came back-from barely touching the collar of his shirt to cropped at his nape again. Heâs surprised Charles even notices the minute change. He reaches up to rake a hand carelessly through it, tousling it even more than the wind already has, and Charles watches the motion. âYeah. Was getting kinda long.â
Patting his horse on the rump to usher her towards the herd, he closes the few steps between himself and Charles, and presses a quick kiss to his lips, a hand coming up to cup his cheek.
âMissed you,â he says softly. âAlmost didnât make it back here alive to tell you that.â
Many things happen at once.
In the time it takes for him to complete his sentence, he realises that Charles hasnât kissed back. Hasn't moved a muscle. In fact, heâs frozen under Arthurâs palm, entire body going still where he stands, and when Arthur looks up from his lips heâs met with brown eyes burning with bright hot fury. Heâs only seen that kind of anger once, back when they confronted the bison poachers, and not once has he ever thought heâd be on the receiving end of that wrath.
Then Charlesâs hand is fisted in Arthurâs shirt collar.
âYou will not,â Charles breaths, âtry that with me ever again.â
Arthurâs mind goes blank. Thereâs confusion, mixed with hurt, with alarm, then Charlesâs other hand is pulling back, and before Arthur can process what his sweet, gentle lover is about to do, the fist connects square with his jaw.
RULES: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous, and tag as many people as you have WIPs. People send an ask with the title that most intrigues them, then you post a snippet or tell them something about it.
Tagged by @tciddaemina đ„°đ„°
Voices (chapter 4)
Cowardice and other virtues
Staccato
Archenemy
Midnight train
Fixpoint
untitled mermaid fic
Only temporary
By a thread sequel
So dig two graves
... And a bunch others
yeag guys apart from voices all the other ones are in... various states of being drafted. also all of them are charthur except so dig two graves đ
i have too many wips so i am resolutely Not tagging the equal number to my fics đ @rockscanfly @gathersnomoths @pipdepop @un-beleeevable
but also anyone feel free to join in as if i tagged u!
what about canadian shack and theyâve just Indulged in some genderplay and they take of charlesâ corset and arthur is fascinated by the indents itâs drawn on the skin
(from the never-ending universe, sometime after Further Sartorial Adventures)
Arthur collapsed forward with a groan, grinning at Charlesâ strained, breathless yelp as over two hundred and twenty pounds of orgasm-limp cowboy squashed him flat against their mattress. âThink I just threw my back out.âÂ
âDammit, Arthur,â Charles huffed, slapping weakly at his husbandâs shoulders. He didnât have the strength to do moreâbetween the corset cinching his waist down to a womanly curve and the thorough fucking heâd just received, he was fully wiped. âYou ainât a skinny little consumption patient anymore, old man.âÂ
His exhaustion didnât stop Charles from pinching his husbandâs side when the cowboy ignored him, busying himself with nuzzling into the soft spill of Charlesâ generous bosomâwhich was as full as a ladyâs at the moment, pressed tight and high on his chest by his corset.
âJust gimme a minute to say hello to the girls here,â Arthur sighed, hiding his goofy, post-coitus grin in the bountiful mounds before him.
Charles snorted, laying his head back on the mattress with a contented sigh. âRidiculous.â He tolerated the lack of air for a few long minutes, content to pet listlessly at Arthurâs hair as his husband sucked and licked at his breasts.Â
Arthur snuffled like an animal, burying nose deep in the plunge as he kissed and bit soft flesh and softer skin to his heartâs desire. His hands busied themselves stroking Charlesâ thighs, where thick muscles were overlaid with silk stockings and framed by a froth of lace and batiste petticoats, all in a lovely cream that contrasted gorgeously with Charlesâ brown skin. It was a lazy Sunday, with no traps to check or pelts to process until the following morning, and theyâd decided to take full advantage of the time and of Trelaneyâs gift.Â
Finally, Arthur parted ways with Charlesâ breasts with a final, regretful kiss.
âAlright, princess,â the older man yawned, lazily rolling to the side with a lethargic pat to Charlesâ ass. âLets you get out of that contraption of yoursâpretty as it is, I reckon it canât be too comfortable for a cuddle.â
Charles huffed, rolling himself the opposite direction with a strained heave. He crossed his arms under himself neatly, pillowing his head against his biceps. âHop to it, then,â he teased, giving his hips a lazy wiggle.
âDemanding today, ainâtâ ya?â Arthur joked, getting to his feet with a groan. He set about undoing Charlesâsâ laces, fuck-lazy fingers fumbling slowly at the knot securing the trailing loops in a bow at the corsetâs waist. Â
âYour own fault,â Charles hummed, smiling contently. Passionate and wonderful as their lovemaking was, there was a tenderness to how Arthur undressed him after their âgirl-playâ that always sent a delightful flutter through his belly. âYouâre the one that fucked me too good.â
âToo good, he says.â Arthur tugged carefully at the center of each âxâ that secured the two panels of Charlesâ corset together, loosening the stays until the cotton and steel confection that pushed his manâs body into such lovely curves seemed to sigh in relief. Beneath the bodice Charlesâ chemise was pasted to his skin, the diaphanous batiste transparent with sweat borne of their exertions.
Arthur ran his hands down Charlesâ waist, squeezing his ass lovingly before slipping his fingers under the short skirt of the chemise to grasp his hips. âBack over with you, my lady.âÂ
âNow whoâs demanding?â Charles sighed, pulling his knees up onto the bed so he could arch his back, stretching his sore muscles. The exercise had the added benefit of pushing his ass back into Arthurâs hands, which was rewarded with a firm, appreciative smack.Â
âThink you strained some ribs,â Charles grumbled, lumbering back onto his back. He flopped gracelessly to the bedspread, blowing an errant lock of curling black hair from his face with a grin. âGood work.âÂ
Arthur grinned back at him, besotted. He bent at the waist, leaning forward to take Charlesâ mouth in another kiss as his hands busied themselves with the front clasps of the corset. âHave to thank my dance partner,â the older man mumbled, seizing Charlesâ lower lip between his teeth. âDownright insatiable, my missus. Now matter how hard I pounded her sweet pussy she just kept yellinâ for more, moreââÂ
âEnough outta you,â Charles mumbled, pushing Arthur away with a hand to the manâs mouth. He flushed, more pleased than embarrassed. How could he be ashamed, when all he got for his begging was bent happily in half and a snappy âyes maâamâ to go with it? âHelp me out of this thing, husband.âÂ
Between the two of them Charles was eventually able to shimmy free of the corset, the loose chemise and stockings and garters with their silk ribbons follow soon after. By the time they were done Charles was left in nothing but his motherâs necklace and what nature gave him.
Hating to leave his lover left bare for long, Arthur was right back on him, pushing Charles fully up onto the bed before clambering after him. The two men curled together, chest to chest, legs a messy tangle as they held one another in the marital bliss of afterglow.Â
âI didnât cinch you too tight, did I?â Arthur asked after a while, tracing the indents left behind on Charlesâ shoulder and waist from where the corsetâs seams had cut into him.Â
âNah.â Charles pushed his face into the hollow of Arthurâs neck, seizing the freckled skin there in a gentle bite. âIt was perfect, Arthur. Always is, with you.âÂ
Arthur nodded absently, tracing the indented lines with wonder. Gently, he urged Chalres back under him, setting over his man so he could see where the thick boning that pressed and lifted his chest into a womanly bust had left a stark imprint against the underside of his pecs. Arthur laid kisses over the bruises, worshipping the small hurts with his mouth and lips. âLooks like they hurt.â
âThey do,â Charles replied, gently honest. âI like it, thoughâmakes it feel more real, this time we spend like this. Like itâs evidence, maybe. Instead of it all beinâ some dream.âÂ
âOh, itâs real, alright.â Arthur gave the bruises a parting, appreciative smooch. That done, he gathered his husband back into his arms, rolling them back onto their sides for a proper cuddle. âMy back told me so.âÂ
âIâll see to your back,â Charles promised, squeezing Arthur tight as he pressed their noses together, nuzzling softly. âDonât you worry, cowboy. You took care of meâIâll take care of you.âÂ
âI know, princess.â Arthur chuckled, hugging back. He kissed Charlesâ cheek, right where the lighting shape of his scar trailed down the soft curve of his jaw. âAinât got much to count on this life, but I know to count on that.âÂ
Charles's hoodie is the best outfit in the entire game and I refuse to accept any other opinion. He's literally giving jimiko earth tone cozy homebody anime girl... Do y'all not see it?? Am I crazy or am I crazy?????